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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. can — to be able to
  6. club — for golf
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. sharp — clever
  11. land — a country
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. press — to push
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. can — a tin
  18. snap — to click
  19. club — a group
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. club — for dancing
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com